Reading

• Eze. 32:1-32; 33:1-20

Devotional

It has now been over 12 years since Ezekiel was taken to Babylon. The children of Israel complained among themselves because of their suffering, saying:

…Truly our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?
(Eze. 33:10 AMP)

GOD corrects their understanding, again.

¹¹ Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’
(Eze. 33:11 NASB)

GOD goes on to explain to the people that a person who does what is good and right before Him will be saved, but the one who does evil will be punished. If a righteous person stops obeying GOD’s commands then he will be punished. Likewise, if a wicked man stops sinning and turns to GOD and does right, he will be saved. Some people accused GOD of being unfair. GOD corrects this misunderstanding:

¹⁷ “Yet your fellow citizens say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their own way that is not right. ¹⁸ When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it. ¹⁹ But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. ²⁰ Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”
(Eze. 33:17-20 NASB)

GOD is just and fair. He will judge accurately. Only GOD knows our makeup, our thoughts, and our actions completely. Therefore only He is worthy to be our judge. Let us all remember the principle that GOD will judge and reward us according to our actions. If we do well we will be rewarded; if not, we will be punished.